((STREAMS>)) Montana State vs Grambling Live Broadcast Free 20 March 2024 Today
Grambling State vs. Montana State FREE LIVE STREAM (3/20/24): Watch First Four play-in NCAA Tournament game online | Time, TV, channel. Grambling State face Montana State in the First Four play-in game on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 (3/20/2024) at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
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The second set of First Four games tips off tonight as the Grambling State Tigers make their debut in the Big Dance. Grambling will square off against the Montana State Bobcats in what could be the beginning of a Cinderella story for both teams.
Montana State won the Big Sky Tournament title and Grambling took the championship game of the SWAC Tournament last weekend. This NCAA matchup also marks the first time the programs have met as Division I opponents. The winner of tonight's March Madness game will secure the 16th-seed in the West Region and a matchup with top-seeded Purdue.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: First four play-in game
Who: Grambling State vs. Montana State
When: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Where: University of Dayton Arena
Time: 6:40 p.m.
TV: TRUTV
Robert Ford III scored 22 points and No. 5 seed Montana State beat third-seeded Montana 85-70 on Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Montana State (17-17) advances to the Big Dance for the third straight season and sixth time overall. Montana (23-11) was aiming for its 12th appearance after sweeping the Bobcats during the regular season.
Ford made 8 of 13 shots with two 3-pointers and 4 of 5 free throws for Montana State. He added nine rebounds, five steals and four assists. John Olmsted totaled 16 points and five rebounds off the bench. Eddie Turner III had 15 points, Brandon Walker 14 and Tyler Patterson 12.
Josh Vazquez had 20 points to lead the Grizzlies. Aanen Moody and Laolu Oke each scored 14. Brandon Whitney pitched in with 13 points and six rebounds.
Moody was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws, Josh Vazquez followed with a 3-pointer and Montana closed out the half on an 8-2 run to lead 38-32 at halftime.
Montana took an 11-point lead three times in the first three minutes of the second half, the last at 49-38 on Moody’s layup.
Montana State trailed by seven when Turner scored in the paint and Ford and Patterson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Bobcats up 51-50 with 12:25 remaining. Patterson hit two free throws and nailed a 3-pointer to help the Bobcats pull away from a 53-all tie to a 62-53 advantage with 8:30 left to play.
The run grew to 14-0 and Montana State led 67-53 before Moody’s layup for the Grizzlies ended the spurt. First-year coach Matt Logie’s Bobcats weren’t threatened from there.
Winning is just a little bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 23.9% better than the opposition, a fact Grambling proved on Saturday. They came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 75-66.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Grambling to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jourdan Smith, who scored 20 points along with two blocks. Jonathan Aku was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Montana State earned some postseason bragging rights after a successful outing on Wednesday. They enjoyed a cozy 85-70 victory over the Grizzlies.
Montana State can attribute much of their success to Robert Ford III, who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of John Olmsted, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds.
It’s time for another bottom-seeded matchup tonight as Grambling State Tigers takes on Montana State Bobcats in the third First Four game of the 2024 March Madness tournament. It could be the beginning of a Cinderella story for both teams, but Grambling State’s would be especially sweet: This will be the programs first time in the NCAA Tournament.
The first matchup will see Montana State battle Grambling for the right to become the 16th seed in the Midwest Region. Both teams reached the First Four stage via automatic bids. The Bobcats won the Big Sky Tournament, while the Tigers claimed the Southwestern Athletic Conference.